Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-04-08

ana tleQ with tremendous DOQQu
sni jerk it leaped far up into the air,
like bird suddenly set free after a
/ long captivity Straight as a rocket
it shot upwards until reaching an al
titude of several hundred feet, when
it halted and began to drift along
with the current of air The multi,
tude below cheered aud shouted until
their voices sounded like the distant
rumble of thunder The aeronaut
glanced over the side Of the car, and
gazad at the earth far beneath him.
1t was the first time he had ever as
cended in balloon, and the sensa-
tions were new and startling to him.
The country lay spread out before
him for miles, and in the distance
villages, cities, lakes, rivers and
mountains could be seen, forming an
endless panorama of unrivalled beau
ties. The people walking on the
ground appeared small and insignifi-
cant, and as the balloon gradually
rose higher they disappeared into
llClO SpCChS duu UlOtS' uCll fOlCCS
were no longer audible, and only oc-
casonaly an indistinct murmer reach
ed his ears from old mother earth.
The wind was blowing northwest,
and waiting the car inland. The
great rolling ocean was visible upon
the extreme left, and directly ahead
the towering peaks of the mountains
rose up like gigantic sentinels. For
q moment sickening sensation came
over the solitary traveller, and he
wished that he could once more tread
the firm earth; but such thoughts
were not to be entertained long. The
balloon was rising, and it remained
with himself to guide it through the
air.
The daring scientist now turned
his attention to his balloon. The
great bag was still rising higher, and
drifting slowly along His instru-
ments recorded an altitude of over
thousand feet, and the earth's surface
was mere indistinguishable mass.
A heavy bag of ballast was thrown
out, and the balloon, feeling the sud-
den relief, leaped higher with tre-
mendous jerks. The complete silence
Of the atmosphere became painful to
the giddy scientist, and he had to use
every effort to keep his nerves steady.
His nervous hand trembled 80 that it
was with difficulty that he could han.
die his instruments. Suddenly the
balloon drifted into a dense cloud
floating across the heavens. A loud
clicking noise from the recorders in
formed the aeronaut of the change in
the temperature, and, Immediately
controlling himself, he took note of
the fact, making some dots and fig
ures on his pad of paper. The cloud
drifted by, and the sunlight once more
streamed down upon the floating car.
But the heavens rapidly assumed a
threatening look; heavy clouds sour
ried swiftly through the air, and
caused the owner of the Mollie to
tremble with fear.
"Now is my time" he shouted to
himself,a the balloon drifted into the
mountainous regions, and the tall
peaks nearly reached up to level
with his car. "Here is the place to
take my observations. If all fails,
Pm lost. Come, come, one final ef-
fort for the mastery of these great ell
ements, and then my scheme Is COM
pleted."
He removed the glass cover from
one of his instruments as he spoke,
and began to arrange the fine, delicate
needles, loaded with heavy magnets.
The mechanism was quickly put to-
gether, but the machinery refused to
work. The wheels remained immov-
able, and the needles only trembled
from the effects of the jerking of the
balloon. The scientist knit his brows
in deep thought, and his nervous
hands clutched the side of his frail
car with terrible grip. Had he for
gotten something, or was the whole
thing complete failure? He shud-
dered fearfully at the thought, and
gnashed his teeth with rage as he
glanced defantly heave1ward. The
clouds were all about him, and the
stiffness of the grave had settled over
the whole heavens. The atmosphere,
too, was becoming oppressive; but he
needed not this now. His mind was
absorbed with one thought.
Was he high enough? The ques.
tion caused faint CLEAN of hope to
flash across his scared countenance,
and quickly seizng another sand-bag
he threw it nervously over the side OF
the balloon The car ascended five
hundred feet, and then moved long
as before. The instrument now be-
gan to show signs of moving, Every
passing cloud made it click slight.
ly.
"Higher STILL" almost shrieked the
man, as he cast forth third bag of
sand, and watched the instrument
with giaring eyes, while the great
balloon rose up in the air.
ut moves! 1t moves!" he cried in
ecstasy.
1t was true; the instrument began
to vibrate, now moving around with
low clicks, and then making long reg
ular beats. A white sheet of paper
was put under the needles, and each
time that the wheels revolved small
dot was made on it. What these
dots meant none knew better than
Bill Mitchell. To him they were
magic words that were to reveal the
key to the solution of his invention.
He watched them, one after another,
with feverish anxiety, and took mi
mute copy of them as quickly as they
were made, in order to insure himself
against all accident The sky was in
visible to him; the oppressive atmos-
phere was not felt by the frenzied
man; the clouds foated by unobserv-
ed. Sheet after sheet of dots was
transcribed, and still the man worked
on in haste. The distant rumble of
thunder did not move him, and a viv-
id flash of lightning was likewise un-
needed. The wind suddenly ceased
blowing, and terrible calm rested
over the earth. 1t was one of those
dreaded lulls before the storm.
The balloon was now floating in q